1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to device control. In particular, the present invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for controlling electronic devices in a server-based or peer-to-peer network environment.
2. Background
An ever-increasing number and variety of remotely-controllable electronic devices are being utilized in home and office environments. Such devices include electronic devices adapted for control via a wired or wireless network, such as devices that comply with the UPnP™ protocol, as well as legacy consumer electronic devices adapted for control by handheld remotes implementing infrared (IR) or serial command codes.
Conventional device control solutions do not provide a means for controlling the foregoing device types via a unified interface, such as via a single handheld controller. Moreover, conventional device control solutions do not provide a means for ensuring synchronization between a plurality of such controllers in a peer-to-peer network environment, a means for transferring custom configurations between such controllers, or a means for migrating such a controller from a peer-to-peer network environment to a server-based network environment and vice-versa.